Seattle Sounders vs New York Red Bulls preview: match date, venue & key points

The next Seattle Sounders match sees them host New York Red Bulls in the Major League Soccer regular season. The fixture is scheduled for 6 September 2026, with kick-off at 00:30 UTC, at Lumen Field in Seattle. With both sides sitting on the same points tally in their respective conferences, this Seattle Sounders vs New York Red Bulls preview focuses on a cross-conference clash that could shape their late-season push.

Seattle come into this game trying to halt a poor run of form, while New York Red Bulls arrive looking to build on their current position in the Eastern Conference play-off spots. Fans searching for when Seattle Sounders play next will have this home date ringed, as the hosts aim to use Lumen Field to reset their season against a Red Bulls side that has struggled defensively but remains dangerous going forward.

Match details: date, kick-off & venue

• Competition: Major League Soccer, Regular Season - 23
• Date / Kick-off: 2026-09-06T00:30:00Z
• Venue: Lumen Field, Seattle
• Status: Not Started

Standings & form

Seattle Sounders sit 12th in the Western Conference with 26 points from 21 matches (7 wins, 5 draws, 9 defeats). They have scored 24 and conceded 29, for a goal difference of -5. At Lumen Field, Seattle’s home record reads 4 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses from 10 games, with 16 goals scored and 18 conceded. Their recent league form is worrying, with a five-match sequence of DDLLL, underlining the need for a response in front of their own fans.

New York Red Bulls are currently 8th in the Eastern Conference, also on 26 points, but from 22 matches (7 wins, 5 draws, 10 defeats). They have found the net 32 times but shipped 46, leaving them with a goal difference of -14. Away from home, the Red Bulls have played 10 matches, winning 3, drawing 2 and losing 5, with 14 goals scored and 23 conceded. Their recent form line of LDLLW shows inconsistency, but they do come into this one off a win, which should give them some confidence on the road.

From a season-statistics perspective, Seattle have managed 5 clean sheets so far (1 at home, 4 away) and have failed to score in 5 league games. They have converted both of their 2 penalties this season and most often line up in a 4-2-3-1, used 18 times. New York Red Bulls have kept just 1 clean sheet across their campaign and have also failed to score in 5 matches. They have scored their only penalty of the season, maintaining a 100% conversion rate. Discipline could be notable: Seattle’s yellow cards are most frequent between 46–60 minutes, while the Red Bulls pick up a high number of yellows late on, especially between 76–90 minutes.

Head-to-head

• 2023-05-28: Seattle Sounders 1–0 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2019-09-15: Seattle Sounders 4–2 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2018-06-14: New York Red Bulls 2–1 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)
• 2017-03-19: Seattle Sounders 3–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2016-06-19: New York Red Bulls 2–0 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)
• 2015-05-31: Seattle Sounders 2–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2014-09-20: New York Red Bulls 4–1 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)
• 2013-09-30: Seattle Sounders 1–1 New York Red Bulls (Major League Soccer)
• 2012-07-15: New York Red Bulls 2–2 Seattle Sounders (Major League Soccer)

The head-to-head record provided shows a competitive matchup with results split across both venues. At Lumen Field and its previous naming, Seattle have recorded several home wins over New York Red Bulls, including the most recent meeting in May 2023, a 1–0 victory. The Red Bulls, however, have claimed notable home wins of their own, such as 4–1 in 2014 and 2–0 in 2016, while there have also been draws both in Seattle (1–1 in 2013) and at Red Bull Arena (2–2 in 2012). Overall, these games tend to produce goals and tight scorelines.

Team news & absences

Seattle Sounders have a lengthy list of issues ahead of this fixture. J. Ferreira (Injury), Y. Gomez Andrade (Muscle Injury), N. Petkovic (Knee Injury), J. Ragen (Knee Injury) and P. de La Vega (Calf Injury) are all listed as Missing Fixture for this game. In addition, P. Arriola (Calf Injury) and X. Gnaulati (Injury) are marked as Questionable, giving the hosts several selection concerns.

For New York Red Bulls, A. Marcucci is ruled out as Missing Fixture with a Knee Injury. R. Mosquera is listed as Questionable due to a Thigh Injury, which could affect their options depending on late fitness checks. These injury updates will be central to team news discussions in the build-up.

Key players to watch

• A. Rusnák (Seattle Sounders) — 3 goals and 7 assists in Major League Soccer 2026, making him a key creative outlet for the hosts.

Prediction

The data model for this Seattle Sounders vs New York Red Bulls prediction slightly favors the home side on a double-chance basis. The projected outcome percentages are 35% home win, 35% draw and 30% away win. The advice given is: “Double chance : Seattle Sounders or draw”, reflecting Seattle’s historical strength at home in this matchup and the Red Bulls’ defensive vulnerabilities, even though both teams have had inconsistent recent form.